Donald Trump Is 'Very Selfish': US Open Fans Say Security Delay Was 'Ridiculous' Justify Booing

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump's presence at the US Open men's championship match on Sunday delayed the iconic New York City event by nearly 30 minutes due to security checks.

When it finally got underway, thousands of seats in the largest tennis venue in the world, with a nearly 24,000-person capacity, were still empty as security checks caused confusion and slowed entry.

Fans were forced to wait in long lines, some for well over an hour, outside Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. US Secret Service and other federal security officers checked bags and ushered fans through metal detectors.

Also Read | Trump booed at US Open men's final, security delays match start by 30 minutes

Some attendees who were still outside booed as the match between rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner kicked off. Inside the stadium, Trump was also greeted by a mix of cheers and boos.

Here's what the US Open fans had to say about the wait and the booing:

Kevin, a Brooklyn man, said he had waited an hour and 15 minutes and still had not reached the entrance, and blamed Trump for the delay.

“One hundred per cent him. Very selfish. I would expect someone like that to have a little bit more grace to know that an event like this would be held up for him being here, especially in a city that hates him,” he told Reuters.

Also Read | Donald Trump's reaction to Alcaraz win goes viral – was he rooting for Sinner?

Maribeth Lodes from New York City said her ticket to the match on Sunday cost $350. She shared that she had not been able to enter the venue even after being in the line for over an hour and a half.

“It's ridiculous. I think it's totally unreasonable that they do this. It makes me even more infuriated, because, like, you know, we spent all of this money,” she told Reuters.

Almost all attendees appeared to have reached their seats about an hour into the match, as Sinner and Alcaraz battled in the second set. Alcaraz ultimately clinched victory in the fourth set.

Some attendees, however, were fine with Trump's presence.“He can go wherever he wants and attend a match if he wants to,” said Karen Stark, a retired tennis fan, who travelled to the final from Michigan .

Also Read | Trump to attend US Open amid broadcast rules to mute crowd reactions 'Fans were really nice': Trump

Speaking to reporters after flying back to Washington from New York on Sunday, Trump said he "loved" attending the match and praised both players' "unbelievable talent."

"The fans were really nice. I didn't know what to expect," Trump added. "Usually you would say that would be a somewhat 'progressive,' as they say nowadays, crowd."

Reuters/Ipsos polls found that Trump's approval rating stood at 40% in late July and mid-August, the lowest of his presidency.

(With Reuters inputs)

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